Alert on LAN for Linux?

Alert on LAN for Linux?

[Terje Malmedal]

Alert on LAN seems to have some useful functionality, if I understand
things correctly they have enhanced Wake-on-LAN to allow you to do
things like reset the machine, update the BIOS and such by sending
magic packets which are interpreted by the network card. Or maybe I am
reading too much into this:

http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/desktop/alertonlan/

Anyway, my eepro100 cards say they are Alert on LAN capable, it would
be very useful to be able to use this reboot a Linux box remotely:

02:09.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100] (rev 08)

	Subsystem: Intel Corporation EtherExpress PRO/100+ Management Adapter with Alert On LAN*
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 66, IRQ 11
	Memory at 40200000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
	I/O ports at 1400 [size=64]
	Memory at 40100000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1M]
	Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled] [size=1M]
	Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2

Does anybody know anything about Alert on LAN and whether it does what
I think it does?

-- 
 - Terje
malmedal@usit.uio.no

Re: Alert on LAN for Linux?

[Alan Olsen]

Alert on LAN makes the system up from power management type sleep when
there are packets to be processed.  Why you would ever have sleep mode on
a server is beyond me.

To get wake on lan to work you will probably need the drivers from Intel.
They are supposed to be freely available on their site.

On Tue, 13 Mar 2001, Terje Malmedal wrote:

> 
> Alert on LAN seems to have some useful functionality, if I understand
> things correctly they have enhanced Wake-on-LAN to allow you to do
> things like reset the machine, update the BIOS and such by sending
> magic packets which are interpreted by the network card. Or maybe I am
> reading too much into this:
> 
> http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/desktop/alertonlan/
> 
> Anyway, my eepro100 cards say they are Alert on LAN capable, it would
> be very useful to be able to use this reboot a Linux box remotely:
> 
> 02:09.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100] (rev 08)
> 
> 	Subsystem: Intel Corporation EtherExpress PRO/100+ Management Adapter with Alert On LAN*
> 	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 66, IRQ 11
> 	Memory at 40200000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
> 	I/O ports at 1400 [size=64]
> 	Memory at 40100000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1M]
> 	Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled] [size=1M]
> 	Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2
> 
> Does anybody know anything about Alert on LAN and whether it does what
> I think it does?
> 
> -- 
>  - Terje
> malmedal@usit.uio.no
> -
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
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> 

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    "In the future, everything will have its 15 minutes of blame."

Re: Alert on LAN for Linux?

[Terje Malmedal]

[Alan Olsen]
> Alert on LAN makes the system up from power management type sleep when
> there are packets to be processed.  Why you would ever have sleep mode on
> a server is beyond me.

No, that's Wake on LAN. 

>From the web page. http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/desktop/alertonlan/

----
   Alert on LAN provides notification of the following conditions:

       System unplugged from power source 
       System unplugged from network 
       Chassis intrusion 
       Processor removal 
       System environmental errors 
           High temperature 
           Fan speed 
           Voltage fluctuations 
       Operating system errors 
       System power-on errors 
       System is hung 

   With the latest release, Alert on LAN 2 now extends IT
   capabilities to remotely manage and control their
   networked PCs:

       Remote system reboot upon report of a critical failure 
       Repair Operating System 
       Update BIOS image 
       Perform other diagnostic procedures 

   And Alert on LAN 2 adds the capabilities for the
   administrator to take action to correct a failing
   condition on the IBM PC, increasing IT's flexibility to
   selectively respond to alerts and further reduce
   response times.
   
   Notification of alert is important, but the capability
   to act on the information is more valuable. For
   example, if a machine at a remote location is
   malfunctioning, the system administrator using Alert on
   LAN 2 can simply reset or reboot the machine.
---

The feature I really need is to be able to reset the machine remotely
when Linux is hung.

> To get wake on lan to work you will probably need the drivers from Intel.
> They are supposed to be freely available on their site.

Wake on LAN works fine, you just need to enable it in the BIOS. 

> On Tue, 13 Mar 2001, Terje Malmedal wrote:

>> 
>> Alert on LAN seems to have some useful functionality, if I understand
>> things correctly they have enhanced Wake-on-LAN to allow you to do
>> things like reset the machine, update the BIOS and such by sending
>> magic packets which are interpreted by the network card. Or maybe I am
>> reading too much into this:
>> 
>> http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/desktop/alertonlan/
>> 
>> Anyway, my eepro100 cards say they are Alert on LAN capable, it would
>> be very useful to be able to use this reboot a Linux box remotely:
>> 
>> 02:09.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100] (rev 08)
>> 
>> Subsystem: Intel Corporation EtherExpress PRO/100+ Management Adapter with Alert On LAN*
>> Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 66, IRQ 11
>> Memory at 40200000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
>> I/O ports at 1400 [size=64]
>> Memory at 40100000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1M]
>> Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled] [size=1M]
>> Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2
>> 
>> Does anybody know anything about Alert on LAN and whether it does what
>> I think it does?
>> 
>> -- 
>> - Terje
>> malmedal@usit.uio.no
>> -
>> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
>> the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
>> More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
>> Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/
>> 

> alan@ctrl-alt-del.com | Note to AOL users: for a quick shortcut to reply
> Alan Olsen            | to my mail, just hit the ctrl, alt and del keys.
>     "In the future, everything will have its 15 minutes of blame."

Remote Management (was Re: Alert on LAN)

[Chip Salzenberg]

IBM says, as quoted by Terje Malmedal:
>   With the latest release, Alert on LAN 2 now extends IT
>   capabilities to remotely manage and control their
>   networked PCs:
>
>       Remote system reboot upon report of a critical failure 
>       Repair Operating System 
>       Update BIOS image 
>       Perform other diagnostic procedures 

OK, fine... but: Where are the authentication and authorization?!
Surely I'm not the only person to see in this "Alert On LAN 2" the
potential for a security disaster.  I know I will never buy anything
that supports AOL2 until its security features are openly documented
and testable.

> The feature I really need is to be able to reset the machine
> remotely when Linux is hung.

Some current PC motherboards support remote management via a serial
line.  Of course, you'll need software: The VA Cluster Manager (GPL'd
- http://sourceforge.net/projects/vacm) can monitor and control any
number of clients, limited only by the number of serial ports you can
give it.  VACM also includes optional client support for enhanced
monitoring, e.g. of temperatures.  I'm not sure which motherboards it
supports, but I'm sure you can find current documentation.  :-)

Granted, this is not cheap.  A VACM-style approach costs some money
for the monitor computer, and some convenience for installing the
serial lines; meanwhile, AOL2 promises to do it all over Ethernet.
But with VACM, you can be sure that somebody has to log in to the
monitor computer -- with security levels you control! -- before they
can control or even monitor any connected clients.

BTW, in the spirit of full disclosure: VACM is a product of VA Linux
engineering, and I work for VA.  But VACM is GPL'd and we don't charge
for it, so I have little financial interest in seeing it used.  I just
*hate* it when people play fast & loose with my security.

Re: Remote Management (was Re: Alert on LAN)

[Terje Malmedal]

[Chip Salzenberg]
> IBM says, as quoted by Terje Malmedal:
>> With the latest release, Alert on LAN 2 now extends IT
>> capabilities to remotely manage and control their
>> networked PCs:
>> 
>> Remote system reboot upon report of a critical failure 
>> Repair Operating System 
>> Update BIOS image 
>> Perform other diagnostic procedures 

> OK, fine... but: Where are the authentication and authorization?!
> Surely I'm not the only person to see in this "Alert On LAN 2" the
> potential for a security disaster.  I know I will never buy anything
> that supports AOL2 until its security features are openly documented
> and testable.

Definitely scary possibilites there. I think the best we can
realistically hope for is that you can require a password to be sent
with each packet.

>> The feature I really need is to be able to reset the machine
>> remotely when Linux is hung.

> Some current PC motherboards support remote management via a serial
> line.  Of course, you'll need software: The VA Cluster Manager (GPL'd
> - http://sourceforge.net/projects/vacm) can monitor and control any
> number of clients, limited only by the number of serial ports you can
> give it.  VACM also includes optional client support for enhanced
> monitoring, e.g. of temperatures.  I'm not sure which motherboards it
> supports, but I'm sure you can find current documentation.  :-)

I am aware of some motherboards where you can configure the BIOS via
RS232. What I want is some way to actually reset a machine that is
hung. Currently we are using power-strips where we can switch on and
off individual plugs by telneting to the strip.

We also use Netra T1's from SUN. They have a small microprosessor
listening on the serial port. If you send the escape sequence #. it
will take over and allow you to reset or power-cycle the real
computer. Very cool stuff: 
lom>version
LOM version: 2.1
LOM checksum: 7CA3
LOM firmware build Aug  6 1999 09:46:27
lom>help
The following commands are supported:

alarmon
alarmoff
check
console
environment
faulton
faultoff
help
poweron
poweroff
reset
show
version
lom>environment
LEDs:
faultled OFF
Alarm1 = OFF
Alarm2 = OFF
Alarm3 = OFF

Fans:
1 = OK speed = 74%
2 = OK speed = 74%
3 = OK speed = 74%

PSUs:
1 = OK

This functionality is what I hope Alert on LAN2 can give me.

-- 
 - Terje
malmedal@usit.uio.no

Re: Remote Management (was Re: Alert on LAN)

[Chip Salzenberg]

According to Terje Malmedal:
> I am aware of some motherboards where you can configure the BIOS via
> RS232.  What I want is some way to actually reset a machine that is
> hung.

That's possible with VACM-style management.  It's not just for BIOS.
-- 
Chip Salzenberg              - a.k.a. -             <chip@valinux.com>
 "We have no fuel on board, plus or minus 8 kilograms."  -- NEAR tech

Re: Alert on LAN for Linux?

[Bernd Eckenfels]

In article <Pine.LNX.4.10.10103131842110.19423-100000@clueserver.org> you wrote:
> Alert on LAN makes the system up from power management type sleep when
> there are packets to be processed.  Why you would ever have sleep mode on
> a server is beyond me.

Most professional UPS with Network Management Cards can go a sever to sleep
mode if the power gets down and they will
awake the Server with a "Wake-on-Lan" signal if power is back.

Afaik Wake-On-Lan is a Mainboard/Bios Feature and will work with any OS which
can put the System into the right Sleep mode.

Greetings
Bernd

Re: Alert on LAN for Linux?

[Alan Cox]

> things correctly they have enhanced Wake-on-LAN to allow you to do
> things like reset the machine, update the BIOS and such by sending
> magic packets which are interpreted by the network card. Or maybe I am

Normally 'sending magic packets resets the machine' is considered a feature
reported to bugtraq. The alert stuff I have seen is more akin to sending SNMP
traps for things like people opening the lid, or fan failure

Re: Alert on LAN for Linux?

[Eric W. Biederman]

Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk> writes:

> > things correctly they have enhanced Wake-on-LAN to allow you to do
> > things like reset the machine, update the BIOS and such by sending
> > magic packets which are interpreted by the network card. Or maybe I am
> 
> Normally 'sending magic packets resets the machine' is considered a feature
> reported to bugtraq. The alert stuff I have seen is more akin to sending SNMP
> traps for things like people opening the lid, or fan failure

I haven't quite be able to track this but I don't think that is how alert on
lan works.  Rev1 has a watch dog timer that can send a packet when
booting or whatever fails.  It looks like Rev2 hooked up that watchdog
timer to the power or the reset switch.  So it doesn't reboot for
everything but it does look like it can reboot for some specific
special cases.

And if it is of the watchdog timer approach it looks like it could
actually be useful.  Of course someone needs to track down the docs so
we can actually use it.

Eric